Eyes Wide Open
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: What if Kakashi made a promise to Minato? What if HE raised Naruto as his own? What will this mean for Konoha? It will mean the dawn of a new era, one with Eyes Wide Open! Fluff, Action, Romance, Humor, Angst. Naruto & Female Neji & Hinata! ENJOY!


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The streets were crowded in the late afternoon when Hyuuga Neji completed her task. Laden with various bags containing varying items, she exited the weapons shop and tossed a courtesy over her shoulder, thanking the shopkeeper and silently cursing Tenten for her constant need of new shuriken and kunai. Ordinarily she'd consider such menial tasks to be beneath her, but at the moment she hadn't the opportunity to remember just why she'd volunteered for such an annoying assignment.

Long auburn hair dangled around her eyes, threatening to cut off her vision entirely. She swore against it, the pulsating veins of her Byakugan bright and stark behind that curtain of brown that hung dowards past her waist and elicited more than her fair share of whistles. Neji was suddenly grateful for the shopping bags tethered to her arms. Without them, heads would be rolling and wives would be widowed on this brutally humid mid-summer's day.

She forced herself to hurry onward, muttering foul words that no genin should know, much less a member of the Hyuuga Branch Family. As one of Konoha's most prodigous genin, she couldn't allow her self to be angered simply because lecherous men were staring at her swaying hips. It didn't mean she couldn't slaughter them where they stood however, just like the damned Main House who'd been responsible for the death of her-

Neji brutally slammed the lid down on that thought. The streets were treacherously busy at this hour, and it took all her skill and ability to navigage the streets. But even with her Byakugan, burdened as she was, Neji hadn't a chance of seeing the unfortunate blond who just so happpened to appear in that slim spot of blindness behind her neck. Didn't help that said blond was also crossing the street at the same moment as she.

A flash of blue and orange was all she was afforded.

"OI!"

Two voices yelped and five bags went flying.

"Whoa!" Someone shouted, and in a plume of smoke, several hands appeared. Neji toppled backward with a cry of surprise, eyes flying wide as a pair of strong arms took hold of her, deftly snatching Neji out of harm's way and sweeping her into someone's chest. She had to blink multiples times as five kage bunshin proffered the items to her, all of which were remarkably intact. Dazed, she lingered in the strangers arms for a moment before she realized the way in which she was being held.

_Damn but he moved fast._

"Release me this instant." Her tone brooked no argument and with a sheepish chuckle she was released. "If you value your life."

"Ah!" He yelped, raising his hand defensively "I was just trying to-

"You dare-

"Sorry!"

_**"?"**_

"Sorry." The youth mumbled, sparing an appreciative glance over his shoulder. "I didn't mean to knock you over back there." Neji froze, her bitterness twisting into surprise and surprise into regret and embarassment as a light flush appeared on her cheeks. She'd seen this boy before. He wore the oddest colors of orange and blue, his jacket unzipped to reveal the black tee beneath. She stared after him for a moment, struggling to get a handle on herself and the sudden roiling of emotions within her breast.

"D-Don't say such useless things."

It took her several seconds after the fact, but she somehow accomplished this feat. So this then, was one of Kakashi's students to take part in the Chunin Exams? The boy didn't look to be anything at all unique, save for the kusarigama belted at his hip and the thin tanto sheathed at his back. She found her nose crinkling at the thick smell of ramen that all but wafted off of him and it took all she had to choke down the smell and recover.

Whoever he was, this boy was ridicously well armed. Ranging from the aformentioned weapons, there were also two scrolls belted across his back, one directly atop the other. Whatever purpose they served was just that, unknown. She might have been intrigued to know more, had not that hideous orange and blue jumpsuit so perturbed her senses. What kind of a shinobi chose to wear such odd and obvious colors while in the field?

He was roughly ten paces away when she finally found her voice.

"Your there!"

The boy paused, glanced back at her.

"Nani?"

"Your name." Hyuuga Neji folded her arms over her bosom and refused to pick up the bags he had left at her feet. "I am owed that much for your horrific lack of courtesy." Blondie seemed to light up at the remark, as though he'd been waiting for such an inquiry. He jerked a thumb toward his chest, sapphire blue eyes narrowing as he all but hollered back at her-

"Uzumaki Naruto!" His whiskered cheeks lit in a cheery grin. "The man who's gonna be the next hokage!" Neji blinked four times, and upon the fourth blink the boy laughed cheerily and slapped both of his palms together. A sudden breeze swept him up and he was gone, in a swirling of leaves, as though he'd never been there at all. Neji stared for several more moments, dumbfounded. This, this was the boy her cousin was so desperately affectionate for?

Preposterous.

Neji could see the allure, but she could also see that this was Kakashi's boy. The one the infamous Copycat had taken under his wing and trained since birth. Rumored to be skilled in summoning jutsu, if not other various techniques the like of which she couldn't fathom. He hadn't a bloodline-that she knew of- but he was in almost constant competition with his teammate, Uchiha Sasuke. Hyuuga Neji watched the wind fade into the distance with a strange mixture of jealousy and annoyance. She watched the breeze reform on a far off rooftop and felt something dimly resembling affection.

Very, very dimly.

"Uzumaki Naruto, huh?" A small smile dimpled her cheek as she reached down to reclaim the parcel. "A man like you could never be the hokage." No matter how much you struggled, it was impossible to wrest your destiny away from fate. That this boy thought he could even try, was laughable. Still, Neji's curiousity had been piqued. Some small part of her wished to fight this boy. To test his mettle in combat and outside combat, to see that of which he was truly capable.

Regardless...

This promised to be a most _interesting _Chunin Exam.

**A/N: BWAH DON'T ASK WHY I WROTE THIS! I'll probably end up writing a Gender Bender fic for most of the male cast (MUCH LATER), but when I saw a female Neji pic on the web and that just inspired me to write this little ficlet. Interpret the background as you will, but suffice to say Kakashi kept his promise to Minato and raised Naruto was though he really were his own son and apparently a powerfully perverted one at that XD**


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